2017 SBO of the Year
Claire Cieremans
NMASBO is committed to developing public awareness and appreciation of public school business leaders and the value they add to the daily operations of schools through The School Business Official of the Year which is awarded annually at the Spring Budget Workshop in Albuquerque, NM.
This award is presented to the individual who exemplifies visionary leadership in school business management. Each year, we honor the school management professional who has contributed consistently as a school business official throughout his or her career, demonstrating passion, commitment, and dedication to the profession. It’s no wonder that this year’s 2017 NMASBO Distinguished Roadrunner Award was presented to Mr. Carl Gruenler, CFO of Santa Fe Public Schools. He was presented the award at the 2017 Spring Budget Workshop in April.
Mr. Gruenler has been involved with and advocates for public schools at the local and legislative level. He has stepped up and presented for NMASBO state conferences as well as presented at the International ASBO level.
Dr. Veronica Garcia, Superintendent of Santa Fe Public Schools said, “Mr. Gruenler is an astute leader and strategic planner."
His contributions to SFPS and the school business management community include, but are not limited to:
• He championed the District Digital Learning Plan
and Educational Technology Note and strategically led the charge for a statutory language change.
• He established integrated long-term energy
conservation goals and programs in the SFPS District.
• He implemented the national best practices budget
strategy of Fair Student Funding cross our District to enhance transparency, flexibility and equality in school funding.
• He developed competitive wage studies with NEA-
Santa Fe, which developed a collective bargaining through a differentiated compensation approach.
• He strategically helped lead the charge in support
of amending HB144 during the current Legislative Session to establish a school district cash sweep balance floor, preventing approximately 20% of the districts and charter schools across the State from imminent risk of insolvency.
Congratulations Carl, your recognition is very well deserved. I personally have reached out to Carl on several occasions to ask for direction or advice. Carl has always been willing to help or point me in the right direction and is a true professional.
I would like to sincerely thank the committee that helped in the selection of the Business Official/Roadrunner Award. It never is an easy job! I would also like to thank all the other nominees and the people who took the time to nominate them for this award. Special thanks go out to Lynn Sarkis with AXA for partnering with NMASBO to make this year’s award include a Scholarship to attend the Fall International ASBO Conference in Denver. We want this award to continue to grow and get bigger and better for our membership in the years to come.
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Carl Gruenler, SFPS